The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco hereby finds and declares as follows:
(a) The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has been providing clean power and other electric services to City departments and other entities for almost 100 years.
(b) The California Constitution, Article XI, Section 9, authorizes the City to provide electric service. The Raker Act (38 Stat. 242, 1913) requires the City to develop a hydroelectric system and authorizes power sales from it to any end use customer. Under Charter Section 8B.123, the PUC has exclusive charge of the City's energy supplies and utilities including, but not limited to, the hydroelectric facilities at Hetch Hetchy. Pursuant to that authority, the PUC should maximize the benefits of these energy supplies and utilities for the benefit of the people of San Francisco.
(c) Section 16.101 of the Charter declares that it is the purpose and intention of the people of the City and County, when public interest and necessity demand, that public utilities shall be gradually acquired and ultimately owned by the City and County.
(d) In order to realize the benefits of the City's energy supplies and utilities and in furtherance of Charter Section 16.101, the City should consider the feasibility of supplying electricity to all new City developments, including, without limitation, military base reuse projects, redevelopment projects, projects occupying any portion of public land, and projects funded in whole or in part by local, State, or Federal funds and other City projects. The City has typically provided electricity to these types of projects in addition to (i) City departments, facilities, tenants, (ii) entities providing services on behalf of or in concert with the City, and (iii) other governmental entities and nonprofits. The Board of Supervisors expects that the City will continue to serve these types of projects.
(e) In addition to the types of projects identified in (d) above, certain other private projects seeking City approvals, including but not limited to, new or substantial rehabilitation of more than 10 residential units or new or substantial rehabilitation of more than 10,000 square feet of occupiable space, present good opportunities for City electric service. The City shall consider the feasibility of supplying electricity to such projects where City electric service would benefit the City and the project and where such service would be consistent with the PUC's resources, budget, business plans, and priorities.
(f) The City's provision of electricity provides for clean, reliable, and safe electric service as well as economic benefits to the City and the customer.
(g) The benefits of City-provided electric service include local control, lower rates, commitment to local communities, promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, not-for-profit operations, public accountability, reliability of service, full attention to customer service, and the use of procedures and practices that are protective of workers, the public, and the environment.
(h) The additional revenue provided by serving electricity to new customers can be used to address the significant deferred maintenance for various power facilities, including substations, hydroelectric generators, and street lights under the jurisdiction of the PUC for the benefit of San Francisco.
(Added by Ord. 47-06, File No. 051889, App. 3/25/2006; amended by Ord. 247-14
, File No. 140704, App. 12/17/2014, Eff. 1/16/2015)